the top ten things to consider...this guide gives parents 10 things to consider when looking for a...

The Pillars Christian Learning Center * www.thepillarsclc.com

The Top Ten

Things to Consider When Choosing a Child Care Center

Parents lead hectic lives these days. They are expected to do so much:

juggle multiple jobs, cart kids to and from school and child care, maintain a

social life, and keep up with children’s soccer schedules (if you have older

children). They are expected to pack their children healthy lunches, take

their turn driving in the neighborhood carpool, have family dinner on the

table by 6:00, limit screen time, drink eight glasses of water per day, make

sure the laundry is done so everyone can find clean socks in the morning,

exercise daily, and get enough sleep….blah, blah, blah!

Parents are expected to do it all, know everything about everything,

and always, ALWAYS make the best choices for their children.

For many new parents, the thought of choosing the right child care or

preschool for their child can be one of the most stressful decisions they

face. Worry about finding the best environment with loving caregivers can

cause them to lose sleep. We’ve all heard the horror stories. No parent

wants to be guilty of learning that the child care program they spent

so much time choosing for their child is on the news for some sort of

horrifying incident.

The Top Ten Things to Consider

When Choosing a Child Care Center

All parents want their child in the best learning environment, but how do

they know which is best? The problem is that with so many things

clamoring for their attention, most parents have no idea what to look for in

a child care program. They look at the location and the rates, and make a

decision based on those two factors alone. This is such a huge mistake.

Parents should pay close attention to the QUALITY of any child care center

they are considering. While they will want to find a center that is close to

home or work, location and convenience should not be more important

than the quality of the environment and caregivers. A high-quality child

care program provides a safe and nurturing place for children to play

and grow through activities that help children develop physical,

social-emotional, and intellectual skills.



Research tells us that our children’s healthy development depends on safe

and positive experiences during the first few years of life. If you are a

parent who works or attends school or training during these early years,

choosing quality child care is one of the most important decisions

you will ever make for your child.

According to research from the American Academy of Pediatrics, children

who attend high-quality programs demonstrate better skills in math,

language, and cognition; are better at developing interpersonal

relationships; and have better behavioral self-regulation than children who

attend lower quality programs. So it’s not enough to be average. The

research says in order for children to be successful, they need to be

in programs with exceptional standards and staff.

It is important for parents to personally visit and tour any potential child

care center to make sure that they are enrolling in a quality program that

meshes well with their family’s lifestyle and philosophies.

This guide gives parents 10 things to consider when looking for a quality

early childhood program. We’ve provided several questions to ask in each

category. Of course, you don’t have to ask ALL the questions we’ve

suggested, but these might serve as a prompt for you to ask the things that

are most important to you.



It is important to know that you are choosing a reputable school

without excessive safety violations. Some of these questions can

be answered with a simple online search. Find their website, read

about the program’s history and philosophies. Also look up any

state inspection reports. The best schools will have been in

business for several years and have references or positive reviews

online. An accreditation, such as one from Texas Rising Star or

NAEYC, is a reliable sign of a high-quality center. Quality

programs will know and follow state-mandated teacher-to-child

ratios to keep children safe and give them the best care. The

smaller the ratio, the more one-on-one care for your child. If you

feel overwhelmed by the number of children in the center, your

child probably will too, so move on. If everything seems to check

out, set up a tour.

1 Reputation & Qualifications

Questions to Consider

How long has the center been in

business?

What are the teacher/student ratios in

the various age groups?

Is the center licensed and/or

accredited?

How many children does the facility

serve/licensed capacity?

Do you have space for my child/is

there a waiting list (how long is it)?

Assess the overall safety of the center. Make some observations

during your visit and ask lots of questions. If you notice any glaring

safety concerns, chances are it’s been that way for a while, and

there are lots more hidden problems. Ask about safe sleep

practices for infants, emergency policies, and about how teachers

transition from the playground to another classroom. All of these

things will help you to assess the level of safety and security this

program upholds.

2 Safety & Security


Are indoor and outdoor play areas

childproofed and safe?

Do equipment and toys seem to be in

good repair? (Indoor and outdoor)

Are children ever left unattended?

Are doors secure so strangers can’t

just walk in?

What is your release policy? Who may

pick up my child?

Do you have emergency plans in place

for fires, earth quakes, intruders,

tornados and other emergencies?

How do teachers account for all

children when transitioning from the

playground to the classroom?

Caregiving staff should be friendly and

warm and have some level of

education or training. Better schools

will require all caregivers and teachers

to meet minimum educational

qualifications, such as teachers should

have a minimum of a two-year degree

in child development or related field.

Ongoing training in early childhood

development should be regularly

provided for all staff, and CPR & first

aid certifications should be kept up to

date. Also, a center with good staff

benefits is less likely to have high staff

turnover rates, which means your

child’s caregivers will be more

consistent.

3 Staffing

Questions to

Consider

Are your caregivers trained in

first aid/CPR?

How do you screen staff? Do

you conduct background

checks on all your employees?

What are the staff’s

credentials and training?

What type of child

development training do you

require, if any?

How many full-time caregivers

do you have? Part-time?

Which teachers/staff will be

interacting with my child on a

daily basis? Can I meet them?

Do staff members get breaks

during the day?

Do you offer your staff any

benefits (health

insurance/holiday vacation

time?)

Even though your child’s day may look like a really long play date

to the untrained eye, it truly is much more than that. Children are

learning and doing the hard work of building brain connections

through interacting with their environments and peers. A good child

care center will have a well thought out daily schedule with a

variety of activities. When staff spend time carefully planning

activities and preparing the environment, your child will be set up

for a the best possible outcome, and develop a love for lifelong

learning. Television and other forms of screen time should be

extremely limited (or eliminated) from the daily plan. Children’s

basic daily needs, such as napping, potty training and snack times

should be built into the schedule, as well as plenty of time for

outdoor play.

4 Education & Activities


What will the group size be of my child’s class?

Are your toys and activities age appropriate?

What will my child’s activities be on any given day?

Can I see the planned daily schedule?

What role does technology play in the classroom?

Any extra classes like dance, music, martial arts, language, etc?

What is the nap schedule? Where do children sleep?

What are expectations around potty training and diapers?

What opportunities are available for indoor/outdoor play?

Do you go on outings/field trips/neighborhood walks?

Can accommodations be made for children with special needs? Is there an additional fee for this?

Teachers in an early childhood program should be well educated

and experienced in positive discipline techniques and classroom

management styles. Teachers should be modeling the type of

language and phrases to help children work out their differences

with their peers. During your visit, you should notice calm tones

and see teachers and caregivers getting on the children’s level

when talking to them. The use of time-outs should be kept to a

minimum. Be sure to learn more about the center’s philosophies

and discipline techniques while visiting the center. They may even

have some tips and tricks to share with you that you can try at

home.

5 Discipline Philosophies


How do you discipline children?

How do you comfort children?

How do you handle teasing,

bullying and inappropriate group

behavior among the children?

A good child care center will follow the

rules and regulations set forth by their

licensing and/or accrediting agencies.

Centers are happy to do this to ensure

the safety of the children and the

quality of the program. Just like the

child care center follows rules, they

will also have firm policies in place

that they expect parents to follow.

Some of the typical policies centers

have include daily operating hours,

pick up and drop off times, payment

policies, and when children are too

sick to attend. A good center will

enforce these policies in order to

maintain the quality of the

environment for the staff and the

children. Be sure you understand what

these policies are, so you don’t ask

your center to open early for you,

waive late payment fees or accept a

child too sick to attend. Just remember

firm policies are in place for the

betterment of the center as a whole.

6 Fees, Payments and Other Policies

Questions to

Consider

What are the fees/tuition?

Do your offer sibling discounts?

Are there fees for late pick-

ups/late payments?

When is payment due, and how

do you bill us? When and how

should we make our payments?

Do I pay when my child is

absent due to illness or

vacation?

What are your hours? (does this

fit into my work schedule?)

What are the drop off and pick

up policies, and is there a

formal late pick up policy? How

flexible are you with pick

up/drop off times?

Are there any days/weeks that

the child care center is closed?

(Holidays, vacations, breaks)

All child care centers and preschools will have some sort of health

and wellness policies. It is very important that you understand

them to avoid misunderstandings in the future. You should know

when it is ok for your child to return to daycare after an illness.

Most centers will want your child to be at least 24 hours symptom

free (some more) before returning to care. This is to protect the

health and well-being of the other children enrolled. While it may

be inconvenient to miss another day, remember that they ask

other children to stay out when they are sick to protect YOUR

child. Ask about tuition and payment expectations during times of

illness, so you have a clear understanding right from the start.

7 Health & Wellness


Must all children be immunized in order

to enroll?

What will happen if my child becomes

sick while in care?

How will I be notified if there is a

contagious illness going around the

center?

What measures do you take to prevent

the spread of illness in the center?

What is your policy about administering

Medicine?

How often do caregivers wash their

hands?

The better the relationship you have with your child’s teachers and

center staff, the better your experience will be. Knowing how the

center will be communicating important information to you is

critical for a stress-free relationship. Does the center use a high-

tech parent communication app to communicate to you information

about your child’s day, or do they use paper daily sheets? How will

you be notified about center events, parent teacher conferences,

or school breaks? If you’re thinking you will get an email, but the

school posts all information on a parent bulletin-board, you might

miss out on a lot.

8 Parent Communication


Do you encourage parent visits?

What do you expect from me as a

parent? Is there a parent code of

conduct?

How do you communicate with

parents? (is there a regular newsletter

or notice board? Daily reports, email,

etc.)

Do you hold or encourage regular

parent teacher conferences?

Can I bring my child for a pre-

enrollment visit?

While all centers will be furnished with

toys, furniture and basic art materials,

parents are usually expected to supply

things specific to your child. Find out

what is expected of you and make sure

your child has those things. It makes it

very difficult for center staff to provide

the best care for your child if they don’t

have extra clothes available when your

child has an accident, or if they don’t

have boots and mittens for going

outdoors on a cold day. If you are

expected to provide a lunch, is there a

nutritional guideline that you should be

following? Do parents take turns

bringing in snack for the class? Be sure

to get all of the info about what you

should supply and do your best to stay

on top of it!

9 Food & Supplies

Questions to

Consider

Who supplies diapers?

What supplies would I need to

bring for my child?

Are healthy meals and snacks

provided?

What types of snacks and/or

meals do you serve?

Do you have a sample menu?

Should I or can I bring food for

my child? Are there any food

restrictions? (i.e. Peanut Free)

How often does the menu

change?

What if kids are still hungry

after finishing lunch?

How is breastmilk/formula

stored?

The truth is, there are so many things to consider when choosing the

best child care option for your family that we couldn’t possibly list them

all. But when you visit a couple of schools, you should be able to notice

an overall “vibe.” Do you feel good about what you are seeing, and

hearing, and feeling while visiting? If you do, your child will likely thrive

in this environment. If you notice any red flags, or feel uneasy for some

reason, this might not be the place for you. Ask yourself these questions

to help you determine the best place for your child.

10 Other Things to Consider


Do the staff and children seem happy and engaged?

Are crying children being attended to by staff?

Does the daycare center seem clean and pleasant?

Will you feel at ease knowing your child is in this setting, when you are apart from your child?

There are certainly many other aspects that you could consider when

choosing a child care program for your child, and we hope this list of

questions has helped you become more aware of what you should be

looking for when evaluating the quality of a potential program. But in the

end, your parental instinct, your “mommy/daddy-radar,” will let you know if

this is the right program for you. Each center is unique, and offers a

different environment and varied benefits. Use the questions provided in

this guide to learn more about your options, and then make an overall

judgement to choose the program that is best for your family.



This FREE Guide has been provided to you by THE PILLARS CHRISTIAN LEARNING CENTER.

To schedule your tour with us please visit

www.thepillarsclc.com

the top ten things to consider...this guide gives parents 10 things to consider when looking for a...

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